Foxy and Me
by CelfwrDderwydd
Summary: Does a child ever really grow up? Do friendships really last a lifetime? Can dreams really come true? At Freddy Fazbear's, anything is possible...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The Author does not own Five Nights at Freddy's.

 **Foxy and Me.**

by

CelfwrDderwydd

 **Prologue**

" _It is a grave injustice to a child or adult to insist that they stop crying."_

 _-Alexander Lowen_

Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria was filled with the sounds of children laughing and yelling. The party was in full swing, the smell of pizza and the fizzing of soda of all sorts of flavors was heavy in the air.

A group of boys were blowing loudly on kazoos and party horns as another plate of pizza arrived. To the eyes of any observer, it would seem the picture of childhood happiness. That observer would be wrong, as there was always an exception. None of the adults paid any mind to the small child, standing away from the others, almost hiding.

He was small for his age. Dressed in blue shorts and a red t-shirt with Tigger on it, he looked like any other child. His brown hair and blue eyes were unremarkable. Children have a keenness that adults so often think they lack. In fact, this lack of keenness is often the other way around, with the adults being the ones lacking acuity. A few of them had tried to talk to him, but the boy never spoke back. None of them could understand. When their attempts at making friends failed, they reluctantly went back to the party, although they would occasionally glance back at the boy who was silent. They knew something was wrong, but in their innocence, they didn't know what.

He watched the other children as they played and laughed. It almost seemed alien to him. He didn't know how to relate to them, or to open up, no matter how much he might want to. A prisoner in his own mind, behind bars far colder than iron or steel.

" _Ahoy, me matey!"_ said a female voice. He blinked as he looked at the source of the voice. It was one of the animatronics.

This one was a tall, crimson fox, with an eye patch, a hook for a right hand, wearing a brown vest and khaki pants. Her tail was slowly swaying as she smiled down at him. "What be ye doin' all alone?" she asked in a slightly gruff, but unmistakably feminine voice. He didn't reply, only stared up at her. The fox tilted her head as she regarded the small child. "Why, I haven't seen such a cute little matey in a long time! What's yer name?" The boy squeaked at first, unused to talking.

"S-Shane," he replied in such a small, tiny voice, an adult wouldn't have heard it over the noise. The fox, though, heard it quite clearly, smiling wider.

"Well, pleased to meet ye, me hearty! I'm Foxy, and I'm the best pirate to ever sail the seven seas!" she proclaimed. As she came closer, Shane backed away. She stopped, her smile slipping slightly. Her tail swished as she knelt down to be at the boy's level. "Don't be afraid, me matey. I'm a good pirate. I'm as soft as beach sand, that I am!" Her golden eye twinkled as she winked at him, gently extending a hand. Shane looked at her hand, uncertain. Neither of them moved for a brief moment. Shane carefully, cautiously, walked forward, placing his tiny hand in hers. She gently closed her fingers over his hand, the soft, warm fur enfolding him.

A surge seemed to go through them at the first instant they touched, as if some connection had been made. Foxy smiled gently at Shane as his big blue eyes watered. He whimpered softly as she wrapped her other arm around him, careful of her hook, and pulled him against her. "Aw, there now, me hearty. Yer safe with Foxy. Even old Blackbeard himself couldn't hurt ye when yer with Foxy!" She stood, holding the little boy in her arms. Shane couldn't help a tiny smile tugging at his lips. Foxy grasped at this, smiling wider. "Ah, what a nice smile ye have, matey! Ye should show it more often!" said Foxy as she carried him back towards Pirate Cove. "How would ye like to hear about the time I snuck treasure away from Davey Jones himself?" Shane gave a shy smile and a soft nod. Foxy's smile grew into a toothy grin.

The time seemed to fly by as Foxy regaled her new little friend with wild tales of sailing on the high seas and searching for buried treasure. The animatronic fox felt pure joy when the shy little boy would smile, and his adorable giggles just warmed her mechanical heart. Sitting on her treasure chest, the little boy in her soft lap, she felt . . . right. She had made many children laugh and smile before, but this was different. For some reason, she connected with this child, more so than any other.

" _Shane!"_ called a male voice. Foxy was startled at the abrupt change in the little boy. He cringed, seeming to shrink in on himself. She looked up, and could see a man at the entrance. The man was tall, with dark hair. A woman was with him, but she couldn't see much of her.

"I . . . gotta go," said Shane in a small voice. Foxy looked down at him. Something was off. If his parents were there to pick him up, why was he nervous? He almost seemed . . . frightened. Foxy hid her concerns, smiling as she set him down.

"Come back to visit me, matey. Next time, we'll have an adventure of our own, what do ye say?" His eyes lit up.

" _Shane!"_ yelled the man again. The boy almost jumped. Foxy forced a smile and patted Shane's shoulder before he scampered off. Foxy watched as Shane returned to his parents. "What did I tell you?!" the man scolded, grabbing Shane by the shoulder and shoving the boy along. Foxy stared for a long moment, not noticing her lip twitch ever so slightly, her eye briefly turning blood-red.

"Come back soon, me matey," she whispered.

XXX

It was almost two weeks before Foxy saw her new little friend again. She almost didn't notice him among the other children. It was only when he slid off to the side that she picked him out. She smiled as she made her way over. "Arrr, me hearty! I've been waitin' to see ye!" she said as she came over. She was surprised when he flinched ever so slightly. Like before, she knelt down, so her face was level with his. She smiled warmly at him. She opened her arms.

At first, he seemed hesitant. He almost fell against her as she wrapped him in a strong embrace. She noticed he was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt this time. As she picked him up, he whimpered in pain. She quickly adjusted her grip. "Are ye all right, me matey?" she asked softly. Shane whimpered and nodded. Even if she wasn't human, Foxy knew something was wrong, but her programming couldn't tell her what. She brushed it aside for now. "Well then, are ye ready for an adventure?" she asked. Shane smiled shyly and nodded. Her smile grew as she carried him back to Pirate Cove.

They had never had so much fun before. Foxy giving Shane a bandana and toy sword, declaring him her First Mate, and saying they were going to find Blackbeard's treasure before he remembered where he buried it. When Shane helped her to pick up the smaller, hidden treasure chest, she saw something that made her stop.

Shane's wrists were both bruised.

Her ears drooped and her tail sagged. "Matey, what happened to ye?" She was surprised when Shane flinched, holding his arms against himself, almost cowering. Foxy gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and was shocked when he jumped at her touch. "Hey, it's all right. Nobody's going to hurt ye. Foxy's here to protect ye," she soothed. When Shane looked up at her, his eyes watered. He looked so scared. The animatronic fox gently pulled him into a warm embrace. "It's all right me matey. It's all right." She stroked his hair with her hand, gently soothing him. "Who did this to ye? Who hurt me matey?" she asked softly.

Shane softly shook his head against her fur. She closed her eye, her head bowed softly. She wouldn't force him. What mattered was comforting him. She sat next to the treasure chest, Shane held in her arms. She didn't say anything. She just held him, letting her fur blot his tears. Just as hours had flown by the last time, this time, each second seemed like an eternity.

When Shane managed to look her in the face, she only smiled, gently stroking his face. "It's all right to cry, matey. Foxy will never tell," she promised, crossing her heart with her hook. Shane hugged her tighter. As she held her little friend, she thought on who could have done this. Shane clearly didn't do this to himself. Her programming was at a loss for a solution. The only thing she could do for now was comfort him. "It's all right, matey. Foxy's here," she soothed. Shane almost fell asleep in her lap as she stroked his hair gently.

" _Shane!"_ Foxy's head snapped around as she saw the same man from before. Shane's father. She felt him tense and flinch. She stroked his back as she stared at the man before looking down at him.

"Shane . . . is he the one who hurt ye?" she asked in a low tone. Shane was silent.

" _Shane!"_ the man called, louder this time. Foxy's glittering golden eye fixed on the man, who was merely a silhouette in the doorway. She looked back down at the frightened little boy.

"I'll be here when ye visit again," she promised as she set the boy down. Shane looked up at her with watery eyes. She gave him one last hug. _"Tell someone,"_ she whispered.

" _Shane!"_ the man yelled again, clearly angry. Shane flinched again.

"I . . . I-I can't," he whimpered. Foxy stroked his hair gently.

"Yes, ye can. Ye can't be brave if ye not be afraid," she said gently. She saw the man was walking over. Shane gave her one last squeeze before running over to his approaching father.

When the man roughly grabbed Shane's wrist, Foxy felt every gear and servo in her body tense.

"What did I tell you?! What did I tell you?! Huh?! You come when I call you!" the man yelled, gaining the attention of more than a few people. He noticed the stares, and scowled.

" _Please, somebody do something,"_ Foxy silently prayed. Shane's father almost snarled as he dragged his son with him to the front door. It took every ounce of willpower, and every safety feature and override in her systems to keep her from striding over and decking the man. Things went back to normal after they left, but Foxy continued to stare. _"Please, Shane. Please tell someone. Please, somebody do something,"_ she hoped as she felt like her heart dropped to her feet. She hoped that she would see him again, and that, next time, it would be better.

XXX

Foxy's worry grew as days passed, which turned to weeks. There was still no sign of Shane, her wonderful little friend. She hoped he had told someone what was happening. She hoped someone would do something. She couldn't be the only one who noticed. Who could miss those bruises? Or how he cowered and flinched? Were humans that blind? What about his mother? Didn't she notice? Why didn't _she_ do anything? All these questions, and more, nagged at her. She had confided in the others, who had been just as startled.

"Who could do such a thing to their own child?" Chica had asked.

"Only a monster," replied Bonnie. Freddy agreed.

By the time a month had passed, Foxy was almost too worried to perform. She had needed several new sprockets, since a couple had cracked under the stress of her worry. She had made up her mind: The next time she saw Shane, if nothing had changed, she was going to tell someone herself. Oh, how she desperately hoped and wished that she saw her little friend again.

XXX

There was a large birthday party going on, with almost fifty children in the pizzeria. It was so crowded, it was hard to even think. They had needed all the help they could get. As it was, Foxy was helping set up the tables, along with everyone else. She had been so focused, she didn't even see anyone come though the door.

" _Foxy?"_ She almost froze when she heard that familiar, soft voice. She couldn't help her muzzle breaking into a wide grin as she spun around.

"Shane, me hearty! I've been waitin' fer-" the words died in her throat when she saw him.

Shane's head was bandaged heavily, his right arm was in a sling. A white, gauze bandage covered his right eye. Her ears drooped and her tail sagged until it laid across the floor. She was still for a long moment. Shane was the first to move, staggering towards her. She moved like lighting, quickly gathering him up into her arms. "Matey . . . what happened?" Shane whimpered as he buried his head in her furry chest.

"M-my daddy . . . hit me," he softly replied. Foxy trembled as she held her little friend against her.

" _No. He did more than that . . ."_ she thought. Her eye briefly turned red with anger before returning to its normal gold. She looked up at the others. Bonnie and Chica nodded, affirming they had it under control, while Freddy carried the cake, shooting her a quick smile. Foxy carried Shane with her to the Cove. Their safe place. She held him tenderly against her, safe from harm as she settled down, him in her lap. She gently stroked his hair. "Matey . . . I'm so sorry. I should've told somebody. I should've been there fer ye," she said as a black, oily tear streamed down her furry cheek. Shane looked up at her, and smiled that same smile that had first melted her.

"When I woke up in the hospital, I told the doctor, like you said," Shane said softly. Foxy shivered as more tears flowed.

"That's good, matey. That's good." Her voice was trembling. Shane held up a tiny, bandaged hand, which she gladly held with her own.

"I was scared, but when I thought about you, I felt better," he said softly. Foxy couldn't help a soft smile.

"I'm always there fer ye, matey. I always will be." He whimpered softly as she held him close.

"I love you, Foxy." She trembled again, more tears flowing. She gently kissed him on the cheek, her heart melting, and hurting at the same time.

"And I ye, me hearty," she replied softly. They were silent for a long time, just enjoying being close.

"My daddy's in jail," said Shane, seeming to feel the question on Foxy's mind. She couldn't help a soft growl.

"Good," she replied. Shane whimpered. She smiled as best she could as she looked him in the eye. "Shane, me hearty, ye don't deserve to be treated like that. Don't think ye do. Yer father belongs in jail. No parent should hurt their child, it's not right." She gently cupped his face. "Ye deserve better." As Shane looked at her, she smiled softly, reaching out and grasping something she had been waiting to give him.

It was a golden coin on a chain, a copy of a Doubloon. It was only brass plated with gold, but it was something special. "Here, this is fer ye," she said as she gently slipped it over his neck. "So ye'll always have something to remember me by." Shane's lip trembled as he hugged her tighter.

"I don't wanna leave again. I wanna stay here with you," he whimpered, almost sobbing. Foxy felt the same. If she could, she would have kept him with her there forever.

"I wish ye could, too." She pulled back, smiling as best she could. She gently brushed his tears away with a furry finger. She couldn't help her own tears as she gave him another soft kiss on the cheek. Shane threw his arms around her neck.

"I promise I'll come back," he said firmly. She stroked his hair.

"And I'll be right here waitin' fer ye," she replied.

It was the hardest goodbye Foxy had ever felt. Watching him leave with the Social Service agent, she felt like her mechanical heart was breaking, like all her circuits and servos were going to pieces. When Shane turned and looked back, she wanted to run up and hug him and never let go. All she could do was wave as he left the pizzeria, and her life. Half her heart left that day.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

 _Wherever you go,_

 _Whatever you do,_

 _I will always be here for you._

The sounds of computer keys clacking filled the small room. The room was dim, lit only by the monitors of the computer as the sole occupant worked tirelessly at their task. Some people make light of the work of computer programmers, thinking it's all sitting at a desk and typing. It's far more than merely that. A programmer has to _think_. They have to be able to look over their work, spot potential problems and bugs before they crop up. Even one unnecessary character in a line of code could lead to a digital disaster. It wasn't as easy as people thought. It took concentration and a dedicated mind. The person sighed as they stopped and rubbed their face. It also was tiring on the eyes.

Shane gave his work one last look before saving and calling it a day. He switched off the computer, shrouding him in darkness. He yawned as he stood and stretched, his shoulders popping.

" _I really need a break,"_ he thought as he flicked the light switch, and wasn't too surprised to find it wasn't working. "Great, something else to fix," he groused as he climbed the stairs. He threw the door open, blinking at the strong light. He gave a soft groan as his eyes adjusted to the light. As they did, he couldn't help a tiny smile at his surroundings.

The walls of the small house were covered with maps, paintings of boats, and more than a few flags. Black flags with white skulls and crossbones on them. On one wall a real steel pirate cutlass hung in a leather scabbard. On another, a flintlock blunderbuss hung on display hooks. All around him were paraphernalia of pirates and the high seas. A small statue of Blackbeard looked ferocious, standing with cutlass and pistol atop a downed cannon, a grimace upon his visage. He gave the softest of chuckles as he nodded to the statue. "Mornin' Cap'n," he said as he passed.

Years might have passed, but the mark that a certain friend had left, all those years ago, was still felt. As he entered the small kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee, he fingered the necklace around his neck. He hardly ever took it off. He couldn't help a soft smile coming to his lips when he remembered the person who gave him the courage to say something, the person who cared. His only friend. He was brought out of his reverie by the phone ringing. He sighed as he put his coffee in the microwave and answered the phone. "Hello?"

" _Shane, I wanted to call and see how the program was coming,"_ said the voice of the man. Shane gave a soft nod.

"It's coming alone fine. It should be done by this weekend," he replied.

" _Ah, good. You do good work, Shane."_ Shane gave a mental scoff at this.

" _Yeah, right,"_ he thought to himself. "Well, I'll let you know when it's finished."

" _Very good. Talk with you later, Shane. Bye."_ Shane sighed as he hung up the phone. The microwave dinged as it finished heating the extra-strong coffee. In all the years that had passed, Shane never had any other friends. He knew some people a little better than others, but they were not friends. The scars that he had been left with were far deeper than those in his flesh. He idly rubbed the side of his head, where there was a scar from his eyebrow across the side of his forehead into his brown hair. He looked at the reflection in the glass of the microwave.

His face was slim, with high cheekbones and a thin, elegant Patrician nose. His hair hung a little long, just barely touching his eyebrows. His left eye was a deep blue, but his right was a constant reminder of his past. His right eye was a pale, milky-white, including the pupil. A last gift from his father. At least he could see out of his left eye, so he wasn't totally blind. He sipped his coffee as he fingered the necklace, thinking back on the only person he had ever considered a friend.

He still remembered that gruff, feminine voice, and it still made him smile. He couldn't forget her. He never had, and never would, even if twenty-four years had passed. His smile saddened as he thought back, thinking how much he wanted to see her again. To hug her, and thank her for everything. He wanted to tell her just how dear she was. His eyes were downcast as he thought back to the day his hopes of seeing her again had been dashed.

 _Shane was excited. He was on a field trip with the rest of the school. That in itself wasn't what had him excited, it was where they were going. The ten-year-old could hardly contain his excitement._

 _He hadn't been back in Endleton City since he was put on foster care. It almost seemed strange, now. Things had changed, new buildings had been made, and some older ones torn down._

" _Man, why're we going to Freddy Fazbear's? We're not babies!" griped one of the other boys. Shane ignored him. He was almost twitching with excitement. He wondered if she would remember him. He shook the thought from his head._ Of course _she would remember. He fingered the necklace around his neck. His heart was beating faster as the bus neared where Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was. When he saw the sign, it took every ounce of willpower not to shout in joy._

" _Huh, looks like there's nobody there," said the bus driver. Shane felt a bit in his stomach at that._

 _The bus pulled up, and the kids got out with the bus driver. Shane looked around. The parking lot was empty. The bus driver walked up to the door. He sighed as he turned back. "Sorry, kids. The place is closed," said the man. Some of the kids groaned, some cheered. Shane walked up to the door, almost in a trance. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he stared at the sign nailed over the door, and the bold, red lettering on it:_

 _ **For Sale.**_

Shane had felt like his entire world had been crushed that day. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. He had never stopped wishing, or hoping that he would see her again, somehow, some way. He knew it was naive, and hopeless, but, in his heart of hearts, he still had some hope, however dim, he would see her again. His only friend, the only person he had ever opened his heart to. He finished his coffee. It wouldn't do any good to think about it now. He had work to do, and that program wasn't going to write itself. He rubbed his shoulder before heading back down into the basement to get back to work.

It was late by the time Shane finished his work. The sun had set long ago. Even so, he had almost finished the program. He just needed to check it over once more for errors. That needed a fresh, alert mind, so he needed to call it a day for the sake of the project. He groaned as he headed up through the living room and upstairs to the second story. He was almost leaning against the wall as he opened the door to his bedroom. He yawned as he pulled off his hooded sweatshirt and tossed it in the hamper for clothes needing to be washed. He cracked his neck as he sat on his bed, pulling off his shoes and socks, tossing the socks into the hamper with unfailing aim. He allowed himself a small smile of victory before settling down under the covers.

"Goodnight, Foxy," he whispered softly.

XXX

The next morning found Shane awake almost at dawn. He fixed a quick, microwaved breakfast, and set to work finishing the program. It was easily the biggest project he had undertaken, but it wasn't terribly difficult in and of itself. It was the size that was the issue, not the programming itself. He was sure he could finish it that day. He carefully checked over every line of code, looking for any blank spot or misplaced character. It was fairly easy going, because, thus far, he found none. Shane was nothing, if not meticulous. He knew his own work, and took pride in it. That being said, he never got too full of himself to think he was above making mistakes.

He saved his progress often, not wanting to take a chance that the power would flicker, and lose an entire day of work. He'd already been through _that_ before. Seconds, minutes and hours blended and flowed together as he worked, typing and retyping. He was almost in a trance as he worked. He was almost surprised when he reached the end of the lines of code. He saved and stretched, almost unable to believe he was actually done. He allowed himself a smile, satisfied with his work. He brought out his watch, switching on the small, lighted face. It was barely three o'clock. He'd finished in record time. His smile grew slightly. He rarely did so, be he decided to treat himself as a little celebration for his success. He turned off the computers and headed upstairs.

Outside, the air was warm was spring was beginning to turn into summer. A few birds were singing, and he could hear some people talking and laughing. Shane put his sunglasses on as he closed the door of his house and headed to the small garage that stood next door. He paused at the door of the garage and looked at his humble little home.

The house was an off white, almost a cream color. The paint was old and cracked, but it still had a nice charm to it. It was on old house from the turn of the last Century when the railroads were still running. It was just barely two stories tall. The tiny "yard" around it was almost overgrown with ivy and a few trees. A person couldn't see into the yard from the street. That being said, it didn't look wild or unkempt, but peaceful and tranquil. Sure, the house had substandard insulation, old wiring and plumbing, but he liked it. Besides that, it was all he could afford. It was his own little sanctuary from a world he knew could be very cold and cruel. He adjusted his sunglasses as he opened the door of the garage, smiling at the old vehicle inside.

It was an old US Army truck from World War Two. It was still the same olive drab color. He patted the side of the truck as he got in and started it up. He carefully backed out of the garage, glancing up and down the street, before heading off. As Shane drove, he reached down and switched on the radio. It was old, but it still worked, which is what counted.

" _Alton Robotics made a press announcement today, that they have designed the world's very first truly intelligent AI,"_ said the voice of the newscaster. Shane couldn't help a small smile. He already knew that machines were more intelligent than humans gave them credit for. They were intelligent enough to not let people know. His smile faded somewhat as he fingered the necklace around his neck.

It had been his memory of Foxy that had led him to want to be a computer programmer, although he had wanted to study robotics. At the time and at his high school, there wasn't a course in robotics. When he went to college, he was disappointed the robotics class was full, so he took programming, hoping to take robotics later on. Even if the class had been full, he _had_ been able to work with some of the students in the robotics class. In fact, he had helped them with their project, with him doing the programming, and them designing and building the robot. He had learned a lot about robotics, despite not taking the class himself. Now, he was saving up to take the robotics class next year.

As he drove into Endleton City, he couldn't help an off feeling. He frowned as he stopped at a red light. He glanced up to his right, and could see the now-blank sign where Fazbear's Pizza used to be. He sighed, looking back down at the street, then back to the sign. He sighed and turned his right turn signal on.

" _Oh, what the hell? Driving by won't hurt. I've got time,"_ he thought as the light turned green.

Shane couldn't help tensing just a bit as he drove through the neighborhood where he used to live, long ago. The old apartments where he used to live had since been torn down. He had heard it was because people had been cooking Meth there, but he knew it was because there were too many bad memories there. Seeing the parking lot where the apartments used to be gave a small feeling of relief. When he saw where Fazbear's Pizza used to be, he felt that same sense of deep longing and regret. The only happy memory from his childhood was from there. He frowned when he saw a large truck parked in front of the building, the doors wide open. He blinked as he drove by.

As he passed by the back alleyway behind the restaurant, he just barely saw several men moving things out. Some of the things were covered in sheets. One of the men threw off a sheet, revealing what was underneath. Shane's heart almost stopped when he saw red fur. He slammed on his brakes, locking them up. The surprised man in the car behind him almost hit him.

" _Hey!_ What the hell're you doing?!" yelled the man. Shane gave an apologetic wave as he did a u-turn and headed back for the old restaurant. Shane almost slammed the door of his truck, not even bothering to turn the engine off. His heart leaped into his throat as he saw _her_. It was Foxy, _his_ Foxy. She was actually there! He was almost breathless as all of it seemed to hit him at once.

"Come on, guys! We don't got all day!" said the boss as the men were loading the things into a truck.

"Excuse me?" said Shane. The man turned and looked at the younger man who was approaching.

"Can I help you?" the man asked as he dusted off his coveralls. Shane tried his best to keep his composure.

"Yeah, I saw the place was open again after so long," said Shane. The man scoffed.

"Well, the place isn't opening back up, if that's what you're thinking," said the man as he hocked and spit. "We're taking all the old junk out of here so they can bulldoze the place." Shane was glad to be wearing his sunglasses, as he was sure his eyes were huge.

" _Bulldoze it?! Junk?! Foxy isn't_ junk! _"_ he thought angrily. He looked as the workmen brought out the other animatronics. Shane pointed at Foxy. "What's going to happen to them?" he asked, trying his best to keep the tremble out of his voice. The man looked at the animatronics with a raised eyebrow.

"Warehouse. Probably use 'em for parts," said the man. Shane was almost trembling.

" _Not if I can help it,"_ he thought. He looked at the man. "How much?" The man looked at him.

"Beg your pardon?" Shane stood firm.

"How much do you want for the fox?" he asked, his voice firm. The man blinked as he looked back at Foxy, who stood as still as a statue. The man looked back at Shane.

"Well, those things ain't cheap," he said. Shane was fighting tremors. No, he was _not_ going to lose her!

"Money's no object! Name your price!" Shane almost shouted. The man looked genuinely shocked. He glanced at Foxy, then back to Shane. For a moment, he was silent. The man smiled, chuckling.

"You used to come here . . . didn't you?" Shane was silent. He hoped this guy wasn't going to pull the old high-priced-haggle bit on him. Shane abhorred violence of any sort, but he didn't know if he could keep it in on this. The man scratched his head. "Well, since it costs money to store 'em, I bet the owners of the warehouse would be glad to have one less thing sitting around gathering dust." The man looked at Shane, glancing at his truck, still running. "Bring your truck over here, and I'll help you load it up." Shane was visibly trembling now, just barely holding in tears. He managed a nod before running back to his truck. He backed up carefully, the man waiting for him, shaking his head. The man grunted as he helped Shane load Foxy into the back of the truck. She was heavier than she looked. Shane was almost trembling as he removed the sheet, and stared at the familiar face.

Her fur was dusty and motheaten, her eye wasn't as shiny, but it was her.

" _Foxy,"_ he whispered, almost not daring to believe it. The man chuckled as he hefted up a tool chest made of wood, the name "Foxy" painted on it.

"There's spare gears and whatnot in here," said the man as he shoved the chest into the back of the truck. Shane smiled as he covered Foxy back up and got out of the back. The man helped Shane to close the tailgate. Shane removed his sunglasses, wiping his eyes. The man was about to speak when he saw Shane's face, and his eyes. He was stunned into silence. Before he could speak, Shane slapped something into his hand. "Thank you," Shane said in a voice that was barely above a whisper, the gratitude clear in his voice. He got into his truck and drove off, leaving the stunned man, who looked down at his hand, and the one hundred and fifty dollars and a hastily written note: **Fred's Barbeque, on me.** The man couldn't help a chuckle as he looked up.

"You're welcome," he said as he turned back. "I'll treat the guys to dinner," he said to himself.

XXX

Shane was barely able to focus on his driving. His hands were trembling. He was silently thanking every god, goddess and angel he knew. His heart was going a mile a minute. He could hardly believe it. Every now and then, he would glance back, making sure she was safe in the back of the truck, afraid of losing her. He was breathing hard, hardly able to wait to get her home. The sun was just setting by the time he got back. He almost dashed out to the house, coming back with a dolly to move her. He opened the sheet, smiling warmly at the face he remembered and feared he would never see again. He touched her furry muzzle, his fingers trembling.

"Foxy . . ." He covered her back up and got her into the house as quickly as he could. He grunted as he got her in the front door, if only just. He had forgotten just how tall she was. He was almost out of breath when he got her into the middle of the living room. He almost slammed the front door and locked it. He hurried back and took the whole sheet off. He was stunned at what he saw.

Foxy was in an obvious state of disrepair. There were tears in her fur on her chest and belly, and it was missing entirely from her hand. The fur on her left foot was barely on. Her khaki pants were ripped, as was her vest. Her jaw looked loose, and her fur was dull and dusty. Shane's heart felt heavy at the sight of his friend. He couldn't help the tears. "Oh, Foxy . . . what have they done to you?" he asked softly as he reached up and touched her face. He only reached up to her chest, but that hardly mattered. He smiled sadly. "Don't you worry. I'll fix you up, and you'll be as good as new," he promised before scampering from the room.

He returned in short order with a whole box of tools of every sort of description. He gently reached up with a soft cloth and wiped Foxy's dusty eye. He opened the box and brought out a screwdriver. He stepped around behind her, removed her vest, and gently pulled her fur apart, as careful as if she could feel it. Every touch was soft and gentle as could be. He grunted softly as he got the rusted screws to move, carefully backing them out to remove the access panel in her back. He removed the metal plate, glancing at the writing inside:

 **Entradyne Robotics LTD.**

 **Model 331.**

 **Serial: 117830**

Shane set the plate down and looked inside. Foxy was clearly of older design. She predated the advent of USB, so he would have to improvise. He was pretty sure he could get an adapter that would allow him to access her software. He carefully removed her battery pack and looked it over. It hadn't been working in quite some time, but he knew just the place to get a replacement. He carefully set the old battery down and wrote down the input-output data, before taking a more careful look at her joints.

He was appalled at the sorry state of her gears and joints. The servos were of an older generation, that would lock up if left still for too long. He frowned, but was certain he could get them moving again. He gently took Foxy's hand, holding it as he looked up at her blank, staring eye. "Foxy? Do you remember me? It's me. It's Shane. Yer little matey. Do you remember?" He knew she wouldn't respond without a power source.

He softly touched her face. "I never forgot you, Foxy. I couldn't." he couldn't keep the tremble from his voice. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He glanced up at the clock. The tech store was still open. He looked back up at her and smiled softly. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get you a new battery. A good one!" With that, he dashed outside as night settled, bathing all the world in darkness. Foxy stood still as a statue in the living room. Every now and then, the lights of a passing car would glint and glimmer in her golden eye, but she never moved.

Shane returned not a half hour later, hurrying inside. He was almost breathless as he unwrapped a package. It was a new battery pack. Unlike her old, brown one, this one was bright blue, shiny and new. This one, a hydrogen cell, was the best Shane, or anyone outside the military, could get. He smiled as he checked the terminals, comparing them to the ones on Foxy's old battery. He smiled, seeing they were exactly the same. He carefully set the new battery down. As excited as he was, that would need to come last. He had a lot of work to do, and he wanted Foxy's joints and servos to be in the best possible shape before he reactivated her.

He carefully oiled her joints, taking great care with them. He gently tightened her jaw until it was normal again. He hummed happily to himself as he gently used a wire brush to get rid of the spots of rust on her wrist and finger joints. By the time he was done, they shined like brand new polished stainless steel. He smiled, his face dirty, but he was proud. He set the tools aside and picked up the new battery. He carefully plugged it in and set it into its resting place, locking the clamps. He replaced the plate and put the now rust-free screws back in and closed Foxy's fur.

He smiled as he stood in front of her. "Okay, Foxy! That should do it!" He stood with his hands on his hips. She remained still. Shane's smile began to fade. "Foxy? Foxy, can you hear me?" He stood on his toes and waved his hand in front of her face. "Foxy, it's me! It's Shane! Your friend! Foxy?" She never moved. Shane felt like his heart fell into his shoes. _"Foxy . . ."_ He couldn't help the tears. He sadly touched her face. He swallowed hard as the tears began to flow. "Don't worry, Foxy. I . . . I won't let anybody throw you away. I-" he stopped, his voice breaking. "I won't forget you, Foxy. Never, ever." He sniffled as his eyes stung. He wiped his eyes as he walked towards the door into the basement. Shane almost fell into his chair. He put his head in his hands as he sobbed, his shoulders heaving. _"Why? Why? Why give hope . . . only to take it away?"_ he thought miserably.

His sobs drifted up the stairs, through the open doorway, into the living room, where Foxy stood, still as a statue, her golden eye glittering, the glitter becoming a soft glow. Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed midnight.

Shane was slumped in his chair, his head resting on his arms. He had cried himself to sleep. The room was still and dark, save for the soft light from the living room, coming down the stairs. The silence was broken by the sound of a soft whirring, like gears working.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

 _A Heart that is gentle and true,_

 _A Heart that waited,_

 _For someone like you._

Shane awoke to the feeling of the soft, warm blankets of his bed. He groaned. He frowned as he wiped his eyes and opened them. It was morning. He sat up and rubbed his face. He looked around. He didn't remember going to bed. He frowned as he got up. He was still in his shirt and jeans.

He must have been working late again. It wasn't the first time he had been so bushed he had fallen asleep in his clothes. He looked around, and found his shoes and socks, set by the foot of his bed. He groaned softly as he pulled them on and stood.

As he walked downstairs, he tried to remember if he finished the program or not. He thought he did, but he wasn't sure. When he entered the living room, he couldn't help a sad smile when he saw Foxy, standing still, just as he had left her. He heaved a heavy sigh as he walked over to have a look at her.

"Maybe her programming got corrupted," he mused as he looked at her. The thought made him feel ill. It would mean everything about her, including her memories about him, was gone forever. He looked down at the floor, feeling worse than he had in a long time. He glanced up at the blunderbuss, sitting in its hooks on the wall. As he stared at the weapon, the phone rang. Shane rolled his eye as he strode into the kitchen to answer it. "Great, who the hell could that be?" he grumbled as he picked it up. "Hello?" he answered gruffly.

" _Uh, Shane? Is that you?"_ asked a familiar voice. Shane sighed, recollecting himself.

"Yeah, it's me, Russel," Shane replied, his anger easing.

" _Sorry if I woke you up or something. I wanted to check in and see how the program was coming along."_ Russel sounded polite and apologetic. Shane sighed, rubbing his face.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's finished. I want to give it one final check before I send it to-" Shane trailed off as he noticed something was out of place.

" _Shane? Shane, you all right?"_ Russel asked. Shane ignored the phone as he stared at a photo in a frame on the kitchen table. It was of Shane when he was sixteen. The photo was always face-down. He had never liked it, since the photographer had insisted, nay _forced_ Shane to not only have his picture taken, but dead on, so his blind eye was on full view. He hated the photo. He never touched it, the layer of dust on the back was proof of that. Yet, here it was, sitting upright, as if it had always been. _"Shane? Shane, are you there? Hello?"_ Shane slowly brought up the phone.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here. Just, something was . . . off."

" _Off? What do you mean? Are you all right?"_ Shane shook it off

"Yeah. Look, let me give the program a once over, and I'll send it to you later this afternoon." Shane hung up before Russel could reply. Shane frowned as he looked around. _"Was somebody in here?"_ he mentally wondered. He checked to make sure he wasn't robbed. Nothing was out of place, and his wallet was still in his jeans, all bills present and accounted for. Shane sighed heavily and shook his head. He hadn't been in the best state of mind last night. Maybe he had moved it, just out of grief. It wasn't the first time he looked at his face, only to turn away in anger and shame. He grumbled as he went downstairs to give the program one final check before sending it off to Russel.

Sure enough, the program was complete. He checked it over once more, and was gratified to see it was free of errors. With a smile, he logged onto the internet and sent it off to Russel, who he was sure would be pleased. While he was online, he decided to look up Entradyne, the company that had made Foxy and the other animatronic.

Shane was surprised to learn that Entradyne had been bought out by another company in the mid 90s. That company was now Spartan Battlefield Systems, one of the largest suppliers of military technology and gear in the world. They had made a name for themselves when they developed and deployed the world's very first fully-automated combat robot: the M-2003 GAD, which had made mincemeat of insurgents in the Iraq War.

Shane shook his head when he saw the image of the Gatling-gun-armed, tracked monstrosity posed over the bodies of enemies it had killed. "Maybe if they put all that time and money into things to help people, the world wouldn't be such an awful place," he mused as he logged off. He sighed softly as he turned off the computers, leaving the room in darkness. "Hmm, have to get that light fixed," he muttered as he ascended the stairs. Shane couldn't help his heart feeling heavy, seeing his only friend, immobile and lifeless. He wondered what was worse: to long to see her, only having memories, or to see her, a shell of her former self that he knew and loved.

He sighed wearily as he approached. "Oh, Foxy . . ." he murmured as he stood in front of her. "I wish I could talk to you again. To tell you how badly I wanted to see you again. To say how much you changed my life. To say . . ." he trailed off. He looked down at the carpet. When he looked back up, the look of anguish was plain on his face. He sighed as he wrapped his arms around her, not caring that she was dusty. "I still love you, Foxy. I always will," he said softly as his tears stained her fur. He sighed as he pulled back, heading out the door and closing it behind him. He never noticed the streak of oil leaking from Foxy's eye.

XXX

Shane returned later that day. The sun was just setting. He had needed some time away from the house, to sit and think. As much as his heart hurt, crying wasn't going to solve anything. He'd had enough time to weep, now it was time to try to see if he could fix the problem. On the way home, he had stopped to get a few necessary items, such as more light bulbs and a few candy bars, as he had a feeling he was going to be needing that extra energy in order to keep going on a long haul.

The first thing he had to do was see what he was getting himself into. He needed to look up Foxy's line of animatronics and learn everything about them. Their specs, their types and parts, their hardware and software, operating system, everything he could. It was going to be a long evening, but he knew he could do it. He wasn't going to give up. He stopped briefly to smile at Foxy. "Don't you worry, Foxy! I'll do whatever it takes to get you up and running again!" Shane promised as he gave her a soft pat on the shoulder. He headed downstairs. He stopped to replace the light bulb and flicked the switch. The light didn't turn on. He gave a soft sigh. It wasn't the light bulb. He gave a soft grunt, not about to be deterred by a faulty light socket. He sat at his desk, switched the computer on, and went to work, setting off on a personal mission.

Shane worked long into the night, researching everything he could on Foxy and her model. He was able to find out her operating system, programming type and all sorts of other details. He was actually surprised to find there was a quite dedicated group of people around the world who collected animatronics like Foxy and the other Fazbear characters. There was so much information to learn, but he wasn't going to give up. He threw himself into the task, reading, rereading and memorizing. Even with the aid of sugar and caffeine, he fell asleep at the desk.

XXX

 _Shane felt cold and alone. He was in a hallway, like in his old apartment._

" _Shane!" shouted an angry voice. Shane trembled from head to toe. "Where are you, Shane?!" His eyes welled with tears as he heard heavy footsteps, like someone big was stomping as they walked. Suddenly, the door at the end of the hall flew open, the figure silhouetted by the fiery light. "There you are, you little son of a bitch!" Shane turned and ran. "What did I tell you?! What did I tell you, huh?!" the voice of his father boomed._

" _No, daddy, no," Shane whimpered as he ran. He could see his own shadow in the light, tiny and afraid. He could hear him, stalking after him, like a predator after its prey._

" _Don't you run away from me! You can't run away! You can't hide from me!" his father yelled as he stormed after him. No matter how fast Shane ran, he could hear his father getting closer. Closer. Closer. **Closer.**_

" _No, daddy! I didn't do it!"_

" _Don't you lie to me!" the voice boomed all around him. Shane ran as fast and hard as he could, but he could almost feel his father's hand behind him, ready to grab his shoulder. He cried, terrified._

" _You won't get away from me!" He could feel the fingers brush his shoulder._

" _Foxy!"_

" _ **Leave him alone!"** a new voice roared. Suddenly, it stopped. He was in the dark. His father was gone, and so were the apartments. He looked around, tears streaming down his tiny, frightened face. He whimpered as he looked around._

" _Where-where am I?"_

" _Shhh. It's all right, matey. I'm right here," soothed a female voice. A voice he recognized._

" _F-Foxy?" he whimpered, scared and alone._

" _Yes, Shane. I'm right here," she replied. He looked around._

" _Where? I don't see you," he replied into the dark, his voice echoing, like in a cave._

" _I'm right here with ye. Don't be scared. Foxy's here." He felt something enfold all around him. It felt like he was being held._

" _Where are you? I tried to find you. I tried to see you again . . ." The reply was the warm, soft feeling folding all around him, as if_ she _was all around him, hugging him tenderly, like before._

" _I know. I've waited fer ye all these years, and I'll never leave ye, I promise."_

" _You promise?"_

" _I promise . . ." the word echoed as everything faded away._

XXX

Shane groaned as he rubbed his eyes. He sniffed, his nose feeling a bit stuffy as he sat up. He was in his bed. He looked around. Nothing was out of place. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"It . . . was all a dream," he breathed. He was still shaken, but, he remembered how the dream had changed. How he had heard Foxy's voice. Even after all these years, a part of his mind insisted that it was all childish imaginings, that Foxy didn't _really_ talk to him, didn't _really_ play with him. He would quickly shove that thought away, stuffing it in the deepest, darkest, most smelly, mothball-filled closet he could in his mind, along with his father. His father hadn't believed in magic, or anything good for that matter. Shane got up and put his shoes on and went downstairs to fix some breakfast. As he set the bowl of instant noodles into the microwave to cook, he thought on Foxy, and how to get her working again.

It could be that the connection between her CPU and her servos and motors was damaged, or it could be a corrupt command line prohibiting the signals from going out. He would only know once he took a more detailed look. Just as the microwave dinged, the phone rang. Shane sighed, rubbing his face. "Great, what now?" he mumbled as he answered it. "Hello?"

" _Shane? The program was fantastic! My boss was really impressed! And he's not the type of guy you impress every day! You keep this up, and I might be able to get you hired here full time. The payment is in your account,"_ said Russel, sounding excited. Shane couldn't help a soft chuckle at this and a feeling of pride.

"Glad it works for you." There was an amused chuckle from Russel.

" _Thanks again. I'll be sure to call you the next time we need a new program. Have a good one!"_ With that, Russel hung up. Shane hung the phone up with a somewhat relieved sigh. At least he wouldn't have to worry about money for a while. As he sat and ate his breakfast, he thought on the problem from a purely mechanical point of view, going over everything he knew about robotics and electronics. As hard as it was, he had to put his feelings aside for the moment. His brows furrowed as he thought on every potential problem, trying to find what was wrong. He took a mouthful of the noodles, his eyes closed in thought. They snapped open suddenly as he remembered.

" _The servos!"_ He almost spat out his noodles. "Of course! They're older servos! They must've locked up!" Shane dashed through the living room, past Foxy, who still stood where he had placed her. He almost fell over his own feet as he dashed into the basement and turned on his computer and logged on to the internet. He quickly looked up the site about the Entradyne animatronics. He scrolled past the sections on design, power source, inception, service and everything else. He smiled as he brought up the specs for their servomotors. "Let's see . . . Model 331 . . . servo models 6892 through 6952," he read aloud, writing the data down. He quickly dashed up the stairs, almost tripping as he got to the top. He headed into the kitchen and dialed a number. The phone rang several times before someone picked up.

" _Wilson Mechanical, this is Valerie. How can I help you?"_ Shane smiled as he looked at the paper.

"Uh, yes. I need some servomotors for an Entradyne Model 331. I need to know if you guys have any in stock. They use Westing servos, models 6892 through 6952," Shane read the information to her.

" _Just a second, let me check,"_ she said. He could hear keys typing. _"Um, okay, Westing went out of business, but the style is still made. We don't have any in stock, but I think we can order them in for you."_ Shane almost wilted with relief.

"And how much are they?" Valerie typed.

" _They range from $50 for the smaller ones, to $700 for the biggest ones. What sizes will you be needing, and how many?"_ Shane looked back at Foxy in the living room.

"I'll have to check, but thank you, Valerie. You have no idea how much you've helped already."

 _"Glad to help. Give us a call when you know what you need,"_ said Valerie. Shane sighed as he hung up. He walked into the living room and looked at Foxy. He thought carefully on how many servomotors she had, guessing, worst case, that she needed them all replaced. He blinked.

" _$7000?"_ he mentally moaned. He looked at Foxy, and felt his heart contract. He smiled softly. _"She's worth it."_ He sighed as he turned to head down into the basement and look into the servos themselves. If he could fix them without replacing them, it would be so much better. Not to mention cheaper.

Once more, Shane worked until well after sundown, running on coffee, chocolate and sugar, with the odd vitamin drink tossed in. It had taken him the better part of the day, and his rear was almost completely numb, but he had found detailed schematics of Foxy's servomotors. They weren't simple, but not the most complex. He was sure he could take them apart and fix them. All he needed was the time. He yawned and stretched, his shoulders and elbows cracking. He glanced at the time.

It was 11:55PM.

He gave a soft groan as he turned off the computer. He had made good progress, but he knew there was still much to do. He made his way out into the darkened living room, flicking the switch for the lights. He gave a soft smile at Foxy. "I promise I'll get you working again if it kills me," he said, allowing himself a determined smile. He turned and walked towards the kitchen and get himself something before turning in for the night. He flicked the light, only for the bulb to go out. He groaned as he looked up at the burned-out bulb, a sour look adorning his face. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered as he walked back through the living room, muttering under his breath about how cheap things were these days.

He grumbled as he got a short wooden stepladder out of a small closet and walked back to the hall to change the infernal thing. He grabbed a spare bulb before flicking the kitchen light on, so he had at least _some_ light to see with. He grunted as he unfolded the ladder and climbed up, reaching up for the offending bulb. Shane wasn't a very tall man, but wasn't short, either. He grumbled under his breath as he reached and missed the bulb. "Drat," he muttered, trying again. He groaned softly, stretching as best he could. His right shoulder ached as he tried to reach higher. "Great. Where's a phone book when you need one?" he asked himself.

He was so focused on his task, and had been so agitated when he first got the stepladder, he hadn't seen the crack in the wood of the leg. He grunted as he tried again to reach the bulb, and failed again. A clock in the house began to chime midnight. Shane frowned deeply at the bulb. "I don't have all night to tinker with this," he muttered. He stood on the tips of his toes, reaching and stretching. He could just barely reach the bulb, his fingers caressing the side. He didn't hear the creak of the old wood of the ladder. A second later, the leg of the ladder snapped with a loud crack. Shane yelped as he fell backwards, the light bulb flying out of his hands. He toppled backwards, arms pinwheeling in a vain attempt to stop his fall. He pitched backwards, almost sure to fall on his head. He mentally braced himself for the impact to come.

He was surprised when he was caught by two strong arms.

"Are ye all right, matey?" Shane blinked. He looked up at his savior.

A single, golden eye stared down at him, the other covered by a black eye patch. Although the face was upside down, he could see the concerned look adorning the furry features. All the breath seemed to leave his body. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. He turned over, looking up at her with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"F-Foxy?" She smiled softly and nodded.

"Aye. It's me, matey." His eyes flooded with tears. He almost threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

" _Foxy!"_ She smiled as she stroked his hair.

"Shh. It's all right, matey. I be here," she soothed as he sobbed against her.

"I . . . I missed you so much." Foxy smiled sadly as she held him.

"I know. I missed ye, too. More than ye know." He held her tighter, afraid she would disappear. She gently caressed his hair, holding him against her with gentle tenderness. Years may have passed, and he may have grown up, but she touched him just like she did when he was a fragile, scared little boy. "It's all right, Shane. Foxy's here. I'm not gonna go away." He gave a soft sob into her fur as she tenderly held him against her.

 **Author's note:** I apologize for taking so long with an update, but life was getting in the way, and my Mom needed my help. Thanks for having patience and sticking with me, and hope you like the latest chapter.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

 _I'd wait for you a thousand years,_

 _And for you I'd cry a thousand tears._

Shane was in a wonderful heaven as Foxy held him close. He almost didn't dare to believe. Reluctantly, he loosened his grip enough to look up at her. She smiled warmly as she gently cupped his face. "Thank ye, Shane. Fer coming back, and fer fixin' me up. That was real nice of ye." Shane's eyes widened at this.

"You . . . could hear me?" Foxy gave a toothy grin.

"Aye. I could see and hear ye, I just couldn't do anythin'." Shane smiled as he rested his head against her chest. She softly rubbed his shoulder. "When I saw ye again, I was so happy. All these years, I've been thinkin' about ye. I never forgot me little matey." Shane smiled as he stood up and pulled out the necklace she had given him, all those years ago.

"Me too. I never could forget my best friend. My only friend." Foxy looked at him. She looked saddened.

"I'm sorry ye were alone, Shane. I wanted to find ye, but I couldn't leave." Shane hugged her.

"I know, Foxy. I came back, but the pizzeria was closed up. I wished I could see you, so bad," his shoulder shook with a suppressed sob. She gently stroked his back, comforting her little friend.

"Shh. It's all right, matey. I'm here, and I'm not leavin'." Shane had tears of joy in his face as he looked up at her. Her mechanical hand gently cupped his face. The metal of her hand was hard and a bit cold, but he didn't care. He touched his hand to hers, happy beyond all words that they were back together. Her fingers gently caressed his cheek as she looked at his face. A look of anguish crossed her features as she focused on his eye.

"Oh, matey . . . I'm so sorry . . .," she said softly. Shane knew what she was talking about. He slightly turned his head away in shame. She gently turned him back to face her. Her eye glittered with tenderness and affection as she cupped his cheek. "Don't be ashamed, matey. It's not yer fault. Ye have _nothin'_ to be ashamed of. Nothin' at all! The shame was that bilge rat's, not yers." He wiped a tear away as he nodded, earning a smile from Foxy.

She looked up at the living room, her ears twitching. "Well, this is a really nifty way o' decoratin' if I do say," she mused. Shane couldn't help a smile.

"Well, a special pirate showed me how neat they really are." She grinned at him.

"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for thee," she joked, earning a wider smile from Shane. Foxy's gears whirred as she moved, walking over to look at the cutlass that hung on the wall. "Well! Now, _there's_ a fine blade!" she said with appreciation.

"You can take a look at it, if you want." She looked at him. He nodded. She used her hook to pull it off, holding it by the strap attached to the scabbard. With a grin, she unsheathed the sword, the tempered blade ringing as the light glinted off the keen edges. She gave a few experimental strokes with it, the blade swishing. Shane chuckled as he stepped back. "Careful, it's razor-sharp," he cautioned. She looked at the basket-hilt as she turned the sword this way and that. She slid the sword back into the scabbard, the hilt clicking against the metal locket at the mouth of the scabbard.

"That be a fine weapon." She looked at Shane and grinned. "Good to know me First Mate has me back in a fight." Shane smiled shyly, looking so much like the little boy from so long ago.

"I don't like violence, but I _do_ love pirate things," he said. Foxy looked back at the walls. She stopped when she came to the blunderbuss.

"Be this one real?" she asked. Shane grinned and nodded.

"Yeah. It's not an actual pirate one, but it works. Sometime, we'll go and I'll let you shoot it," he said as she touched the smooth steel of the flintlock. Her gaze drifted along the walls. Everywhere she looked, there was something related to pirates. There was a Jolly Roger flag, posters, books, statues, there was even a replica of a treasure map. She grinned as she looked at it.

"Arr, we'll have to take this and go find that treasure, me hearty!" she growled playfully, earning a soft laugh from Shane.

"I already have the most important treasure right here," Shane replied. She smiled softly at him.

"The same here, matey." He smiled as he hugged her. She wrapped her arms and her tail around him. They were silent for a long while.

"Foxy?" She stroked his hair as she looked down at him.

"Aye?" He looked up at her.

"Why weren't you able to move? Did the power cell need to charge?" Foxy sighed softly as she stroked his hair.

"Nay, matey. Ye see, there was . . . something that happened, years ago. After ye left. After that, they reprogrammed us so we couldn't move around by day." Shane's eyes widened.

"Couldn't move? Then you were just . . . frozen?" She frowned softly, her ears drooping somewhat. Before Shane could ask, she smiled at him.

"But, that's fer another time. Right now, I just wanna be with me matey!" she said as she gave him a tight, but gentle hug. He smiled as he returned her embrace. Shane smiled wider as he pulled back.

"Wait a minute. If you can only move at night . . ." he stopped. Foxy's smile grew. He looked at her as he realized. "When I fell asleep. You-" Foxy nodded.

"I carried ye. Ye hardly weigh anythin'. Don't ye eat anythin'? A good gust would blow ye away!" she said with a chuckle. Shane couldn't help laughing. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

When she had heard his sobs, she strained against all her digital restraints to go and comfort him. To see tears in his wonderful eyes hurt her more than anything. So long as there was power in her, and even one of her servos still worked, nobody was going to hurt her little friend again.

"I'll help you, Foxy," Shane said. She looked at him as he smiled confidently. "Programming is my job! I'm sure I can get rid of the programming keeping you from moving." Foxy looked surprised.

"Matey . . ." He smiled as he put his hand on hers.

"After everything you did for me, I wanted to help you in return." She smiled softly at him.

"Thank ye, matey. So, now that ye know, don't be worried that I not be movin' in the day." Shane held her hand, and her hook.

"All that matters is you're here. You took care of me, now I'm going to take care of you. When I'm done, you're going to look better than new!" She blinked in surprise at this. She smiled at him.

"Thank ye. I couldn't ask fer a better First Mate than ye," she said fondly. Shane smiled before yawning. She gave a soft chuckle. "Now, ye need to be getting' ta bed. Ye been up late a lot, and ye still be needin' yer sleep." Shane frowned at this.

"I'm fine, Foxy. I want to talk with you, and-" she placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh. I'll be here when ye wake up. I promise. I'm not gonna leave ye again. Ye have me word." He hugged her tightly. She stroked his hair fondly. He pulled back and looked at her with tired eyes.

"I promise I'll fix your programming first thing tomorrow." She smiled gently, nodding.

"All right, now ye go to bed and get some sleep. Ye been through a lot." He nodded, reluctantly pulling away from her. Foxy continued to smile as he climbed the stairs to go to bed. Her tail swished happily as she watched her friend disappear up the stairs. "Goodnight, me hearty," she said fondly as she heard his door close. She turned and looked at the living room.

She was still almost in shock. She had waited so long, she had almost given up hope. She smiled softly as her fingers brushed the statue of Blackbeard. As she looked around, she had the most curious, but wonderful feeling come over her. Her smile grew as she realized what the feeling was.

She was home.

XXX

Shane woke up early the next morning. The sun had risen only a few minutes prior. He almost tore out of his room, going down the stairs as quickly as he could without tripping, he was so excited. He wasn't too surprised to see Foxy, sitting on the sofa, like she had always belonged there. He smiled as he threw his arms around her neck and hugged her. She never moved, but he knew she could see and hear him.

"Don't you worry, Foxy! You'll be free to move around by noon. I guarantee it!" With that, he madly dashed down into the basement. He reappeared quickly with a laptop computer. He had to take a deep breath to calm down. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake in his haste. He removed Foxy's access panel and plugged one end of a cable into the laptop, and the other into an adapter, which he plugged into Foxy. He sighed, wiping his face with his hand as he accessed her hard drive. "Okay . . . Let's have a look. What have we got . . .?" he mumbled as he read over the readout. He was surprised how little memory Foxy's hard drive had. Then again, she _had_ last been active in the 90s. She didn't even have Windows 95. He shook his head lightly. All that aside, he wasn't going to mess with her operating system. It was fine how it was.

He looked into the programming files. "Let's see . . . Abilities, Kinetics, Personality . . ." He leaned to the side and looked at the back of Foxy's head. "Foxy? I know you can't speak, but when I get into the right place and delete the command, let me know ASAP. Okay?" He went back to looking. He looked around, and was surprised when the folder for "Kinetics" flashed in green. He looked up at Foxy and smiled. He double-clicked it, opening the folder. Inside, the folder "Movement" flashed. He opened it, and saw the long list of commands. "Okay, let's see . . ." he mumbled as he scrolled down, looking at the files. Two of them were underlined in red. "Are these the ones, Foxy?" he asked. The red lines under the files flashed in reply. He sighed. "Okay, deleting . . ." he said as he hit the command to delete the files, hoping for the best. "Okay, Foxy. They're gone. Now you just have to reboot." He couldn't help tensing as Foxy shut down and rebooted. He hoped and prayed that he got it right.

Foxy's gears and servos whirred as she began to move. Her ears twitched as she moved her head.

"Ah, thank ye, matey. That be much better," said Foxy. Shane smiled happily. She turned her head to look at him. Shane smiled and nodded. Shane was surprised when a small text box popped up, a large red heart emoticon on it.

"Thank ye, matey. Now, old Foxy can be movin' anytime she likes." Shane smiled as he closed the interface. He was surprised when Foxy giggled. "Ah! That tickles!" Shane yanked his hands away from the keyboard. Foxy looked over her shoulder and grinned at him. He frowned softly, knowing she was teasing him.

"Everybody's a comedian . . ." he muttered with amusement as he closed the window and turned off the computer. He removed the cable from Foxy and replaced her access panel. As soon as Shane was finished, Foxy stood up and stretched, testing her range of movement. She turned and smiled at him.

"Thank ye, matey. I'm glad to have such a great friend as ye," she said happily. Her eye patch flipped up, revealing her other golden eye as she gave him a wink. Shane smiled, glad she could move freely again.

"I'm glad I could help you, Foxy. I owe you so much," he said as he closed the laptop. She smiled softly at him.

"Ye don't owe me anythin'. Friends help each other, matey." She reached out and gently took his hand. Shane's eyes shimmered with tears. He smiled as he looked at her.

"Foxy, there's something I want to show you," he said softly. She tilted her head as he led her through the house to the back door.

Shane opened the door into the small yard behind his house. The yard was shadowy, but not truly dark. Vines of ivy and Virginia Creeper was almost woven through branches of elms, oaks and sycamores. It created something like an umbrella. Tiny shafts of light pierced the canopy here and there. Foxy looked around with wonder. She had never been among trees before. She had almost never been outside the pizzeria before, come to that.

"Well, this is a lovely place, matey," she said softly, smiling as a tiny bird chirped its song in the branches of one of the trees. Shane smiled as he gently pulled her hand.

"Thanks, but that's not what I wanted to show you." She looked at him as he led her deeper, past some bushes. They stopped, and Foxy stared in awe at what she beheld.

A small pond was fed by a trickling fountain, the water clear as crystal. Soft grass surrounded it and vines covered the small alcove, like a dome of living green. A small galleon floated on the water, gently bobbing as it sailed on its tiny sea. There was a sign made of embossed copper next to the pond. She stared as she read it: _**Pirates' Cove.**_ She looked at Shane, who smiled softly. "This is my special place I come when I want to calm my mind or feel better." Foxy looked at him, then back to the beautiful pond. She absently walked forward, letting go of Shane's hand. She knelt next to the pond, gently touching the tiny ship. She smiled as it bobbed along. It was so peaceful and tranquil. She looked at Shane, her eyes sparkling.

"Matey . . . it's _beautiful_ ," she said in awe. Shane smiled shyly.

"I never forgot you, or what you did and said. I made this to be a place I could go when I'm scared or angry. I kind of . . . meditate here." Foxy looked at him, understanding just how much she impacted that tiny life, so long ago. She stood and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle, tender embrace.

"And _I_ never forgot me little matey. Me little Shane," she said fondly. Shane sighed softly, happier than he had been in longer than he could remember. Foxy smiled warmly as her fingers gently caressed his hair. She looked up at the tiny shafts of sunlight, shining through the thick canopy of branches. "This be a wonderful place." Shane smiled as he touched her hand.

"And you're welcome here," he replied. She looked at him as he smiled that soft smile, reminding her of the little boy from so long ago. "It's not much, but my home is yours, Foxy."

"Aww, matey. Yer sweet, ya are," she replied, gently touching his face. She noticed his face redden just a tiny bit. She couldn't help smiling. She thought his blushing was adorable.

When they went back inside, Foxy noticed something on the couch. Shane followed her into the living room. She was surprised to find a large dog laying on the couch, as if it had always belonged there.

"Avast, ye scurvy dog!" she exclaimed. Shane looked past her and smiled, chuckling softly.

"Hey, Boozer," said Shane. The dog looked up at him before putting its head back down. Shane rolled his eyes. "That's Boozer, my neighbor's dog. He kind of comes and goes as he pleases. I still, for the life of me, can't figure out how such a big lug like him can squeeze through the ivy," Shane explained as he looked at Boozer, lazing on the couch. Foxy was amused, her tail swishing lightly as she approached. Boozer looked up at her, his droopy eyes focusing on Foxy. His tail wagged lazily before he gave a soft "woof" and set his head back down. Boozer was a big dog, part Great Dane, part Mastiff. Big as he was, though, he was a lazy, laid-back creature, more inclined to sleep on a porch than attack an intruder.

"He seems ta be nice," she observed. Boozer looked up at her before opening his mouth and yawning. Shane grinned at Boozer's laziness as the big dog laid his head back down.

"Trust me, unless you use a bulldozer, you're not getting him off that couch. Besides, I don't mind. He's housebroken. Thank god," Shane said, muttering the last under his breath.

"Won't his owner miss 'im?" she asked. Shane shook his head.

"Nah. Boozer only comes here, so he knows where he is. When it's dinnertime, Boozer will disappear like he always does," Shane said as they went into the kitchen. Shane unfolded a spare chair and sat at the table with Foxy. As they did, she gently picked up the picture of Shane, and he knew how it had been moved. She smiled, looking at the photo, then him.

"Ye've certainly grown, that ye have. But yer always gonna be me little matey," she said, a warm tone to her voice. Shane's blush returned as he scratched his head, looking very abashed, which she thought made him look even more cute.

"Ah, er. Thanks, Foxy." She grinned at him as she set the photo down. She reached out and gently took his hand.

"Nay, thank ye, matey. Ye really helped me, and I can't thank ye enough. Now, I can move any time I like." She gently squeezed his hand. "Ye are a true friend, Shane. Even after all these years, ye remembered me, and helped me." Shane smiled at her, placing his other hand over hers.

"I could never forget you, Foxy. You were the only one who _really_ cared. I can never forget that." She gently touched her hook to his hands.

"Were ye that alone, Shane? Didn't anybody else help ye after me?" His eyes were downcast. Her emotional programming kicked in, sensing the change in his mood. "I'm sorry, me hearty. I didn't mean to pry." Shane smiled sadly, shaking his head.

"It's all right, Foxy. We have a lot of catching up to do. But, if you don't mind, let's leave that for another time." She smiled and nodded, her ears twitching.

"Just remember, matey. Foxy is always here for ye, and I'll _always_ listen." Shane touched her hand, noting the cold metal. He looked at her hand, and the other places where bare metal was exposed.

"And I'm always here for you, Foxy. I'm not done helping you," he said with fondness in his voice. "When I'm done, you're going to be better than new!" he said firmly. She blinked in surprise before smiling.

"Aw, thank ye, lad." Shane looked at her before standing up.

"I'll be right back," he said as he went into the hall. He came back shortly with a plastic toolbox. He opened it, revealing needles and thread. "It might only be temporary, but I've gotten pretty good at sewing," he said as he held up a spool of thread, testing it against Foxy's fur for color. She watched as he compared the thread, replacing it when he didn't like the color match.

"Well, ain't ye just a wonder," she said playfully as he compared another spool of thread. He smiled at the match. He set to threading the needle.

"Well, I couldn't always afford to buy new clothes, so I had to repair them instead," he said as he concentrated. She watched as he threaded the needle carefully. He smiled as he cut off the thread and stood up. "Now, please let me know if anything hurts, okay?" She smiled at him.

"Don't worry, matey. Ye won't hurt me," she assured. Shane nodded as he went to work.

Shane sewed up the tears in Foxy's fur as best he could, carefully pulling the edges of the tears together and sewing them up with Foxy helping on the more difficult ones. He shook his head every now and then, not able to fathom how she fell into such a state of disrepair. Then again, Fazbear's Pizza had been out of business for eighteen years. That was a long time for her to be in storage. Regardless, he was going to do everything he could to get Foxy back to looking like he remembered. Every now and then, he would ask her how he was doing, and if anything hurt. She would always chuckle and shake her head, assuring him she was fine. Shane was not a professional needle worker, but he did a fairly decent job at repairing the worst tears in Foxy's fur. Sadly, there was nothing he could do about the fur that was entirely missing from her hand. He was, however, able to keep the fur on her left foot from coming off. When he stood back, he smiled to himself as Foxy inspected his work.

He had closed all the holes in her fur, and her skeleton no longer showed in her chest or arms. In fact, the only places it showed were her hand, and her right heel. Those he would need to buy some kind of replacement fur for. That being said, she looked pleased, grinning as she looked at where the holes had been.

"Now, let me take a look at your vest," said Shane as he looked through his sewing box for some brown thread.

"Aw, matey. Ye don't have to do all that fer me," she said as Shane frowned at a spool of thread and set it back.

"I want to, Foxy. I want to get you back to as close to new as I can," he said as he looked at another spool, glanced at her vest, then put it back. "Still not the right color," he muttered. Foxy watched as he looked at the various shades of brown, carefully comparing and trying to find something in his limited kit that would match.

"It doesn't have to be perfect, matey. Don't overdo it." He flashed a smile at her before bringing up another spool. He smiled and began threading the needle. Foxy removed her vest so Shane could fix it.

She wore some bandages under her vest, in order to cover her . . . feminine assets. She watched as Shane went to work patching up her old vest. She couldn't help smiling at her little friend as he worked so hard to help her out. She was very touched. Her hand absently stroked the fur on her chest where he had repaired her. A soft smile tugged at her lips.

As she watched him work, she became lost in her own thoughts. No one, not even the other animatronics had helped her so much before. It wasn't as if they had been in any position to be able to, mind you. They didn't have programming for repairing other animatronics in their database. She began to wonder idly what had happened to the others. What happened to Bonnie, Chica and Freddy? She had heard what the workmen had been saying. Storage, used for parts. She inwardly sighed. She wondered if maybe it was for the best. After what happened in '87 . . .

"There!" Shane announced, snapping her out of her reverie.

Shane smiled as he held up her vest. It wasn't perfect, but at least it wasn't full of holes anymore. He flipped it over, looking at the back. "That should do," he said as he gave it back to her. She looked it over, grinning at his work.

"Thank ye, matey. I swear, ye got magic hands, that ye do!" she said as she put it back on. Shane smiled as he looked at her. He glanced down, and saw the holes and rips in her pants.

"Do you want me to fix your pants, too?" Foxy stopped, a grin slowly coming to her features.

"Matey . . . are ye tryin' to get ol' Foxy naked?" Shane yelped, holding his hands up.

"No! No, no, no! I wouldn't dream of it!" Foxy started laughing at both the squeak in his startled voice, and the look on his face. Shane blinked as Foxy howled with laughter. He looked very embarrassed as he scratched his head. Foxy calmed down and smiled as she touched his hair.

"I was just teasin'. Sorry, matey. I couldn't help meself." Shane shyly looked at her. She smiled as she stroked his hair, and he knew all was well. "Thank ye, matey. Ye have really helped me a lot." Shane smiled at her words.

"I meant what I said. My home is yours, Foxy. It's the least I could do."

"Ah, thank ye, matey. It wouldn't be a home without ye," she replied fondly. Shane smiled as he closed the box and stood from the table to return it to the closet. While he was gone, Foxy inspected his work. She was rather impressed with how well he did. It made her feel warm inside, how much her little matey cared. She looked up as he returned, surprised to see him carrying a brush and several spray bottles.

"Now, let's help get your fur back to its shiny glory," he said as he laid out the objects. She smiled at him as he checked the bottle of Febreze, spraying a small amount on the brush. She held out her arms as he began to brush the dust out of her fur.

Shane was extremely gentle with his touch as he groomed her fur, softly brushing it with a fine-haired, soft bristle brush, every now and then gently spraying her with the Febreze. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of being pampered. It felt good. She couldn't help a soft, husky chuckle escaping her every now and then. After so long with no maintenance, and so long in storage, it felt good to be doted on. Especially by someone she was so fond of. She may have been a machine, but she was capable of feeling touch. She also was capable of feeling pleasure from touch. It felt so good when he softly brushed her head and ears, using utmost care around her muzzle and ears. He treated her as if she was alive. When he stopped, she opened her eyes, looking at Shane as he stood back and looked her over. He smiled and nodded. "There. That looks much better. How do you feel?" he asked. Foxy smiled warmly at him.

"Wonderful, matey. I haven't felt this good in a long time," she replied, the happiness in her tone making Shane smile. She noticed him looking a bit unsure. She looked down, and realized he hadn't brushed her tail. She smiled, thinking his shyness was so adorable, but also touching that he respected her privacy like that. "But, ye missed a spot," she chuckled as she lifted up her tail. Shane blushed ever so slightly as he carefully held her tail and sprayed a little Febreze on it and began brushing it. Foxy smiled warmly as he began to relax and focused more on his work, and not on the fact he was holding her tail. She wanted Shane to be able to relax around her, and not be nervous. It was times like this that made her lament that she hadn't been able to be there for him growing up, to hold his hand or hug him when things got hard or scary. She pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on Shane as he carefully finished brushing her tail, the brush gently fluffing the white tip.

"There. All done," he said as he stood. Foxy held her tail, fluffing it back up. She swished it to and fro, grinning wide as she looked at him.

"Thank ye, matey! I feel like a new pirate!" she proclaimed, standing up and striking a pose. Shane couldn't help a soft chuckle.

"I'm so glad, Foxy. I'm glad I could help you." She walked over and draped her arm around his neck gently, her tail softly brushing against his chest.

"Matey, ye did far more than that. Ye gave me a home, and treat me like a person, a friend." Shane looked abashed, scratching his neck. She pulled him into a hug. Shane closed his eyes, breathing in the clean, dust-free smell of her fur, enjoying the softness and warmth of Foxy's fur.

" _Boozer! Suppertime!"_ a man's voice called. Shane and Foxy looked up as Boozer got up from the couch, stretching and yawning before giving a deep "woof" and walking out the back door. Shane chuckled, shaking his head.

"See what I mean?" he asked, amused. Foxy nodded. Her ears perked up as she heard Shane's stomach growl. He looked embarrassed.

"Well, he had the right idea. Now, let's get ye some grub!" Shane smiled as she released him.

"Right. I hadn't realized how late it was," Shane muttered as he looked up at the clock, surprised at how late it was. Foxy grinned as she patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on and get somethin' to eat! Yer all skin and bones ye are!" He chuckled as he put the brush aside.

"Well, how about dinner and a movie?" he suggested. Foxy smiled wider.

"Now that's the ticket, matey!" she exclaimed. Shane smiled and nodded, knowing just the movie to sit and watch over dinner with his best friend. He set a DVD into the player, and saw how amazed Foxy was at it all. Then again, the last time she was active, VHS and Beta were still the main formats of video and the Internet wasn't even ready for public use. He chuckled and sat back on the couch with her, a bag of popcorn and a soda at the ready. "So, what're we watchin', matey?" He smiled up at her.

" _Pirates of the Caribbean."_

Fox was awed, not just at the story, but at the amazing effects. CGI was not anywhere near what is was today, the last time she was active. Movies from the 1980s where CGI was present, it was quite clear what it was. This, though, Foxy could hardly believe it wasn't real. Shane just smiled and watched the movie with his best friend, happier than he had been on many years. They both were.


End file.
